'Robin Hood' jailed for life

Edward McDonald admitted to carrying a sword while busking

A man who dresses like Robin Hood has been jailed for life for attacking his neighbour with a sword.

Edward McDonald, who has a penchant for wearing green, medieval-style clothing, was found guilty of wounding with intent at Lewes Crown Court on Wednesday.

McDonald, 59, from Hastings in East Sussex, had told jurors his neighbour Thomas Blackman made his life a misery with constant noise "which felt like Chinese water torture".

Lewes Crown Court heard he stormed round to his neighbour's Stonehouse Drive flat last July to confront him about the amount of noise he was making.

'Ferocious' blow

He then attacked Mr Blackman with a three-foot sword, fracturing his arm and cutting through its flesh as far as the bone.

McDonald had denied the charges, claiming he was in a coma-like stupor at the time of the attack, after taking flu medication.

He admitted he sometimes carried a sword while busking, but said he had not used it to attack his neighbour.

A jury took under two hours to convict him.

They were then told that 10 years ago McDonald had attacked another man with a sword, striking him on that occasion on the head.

And in 1997, he was prosecuted for threatening a Big Issue vendor with a sword.

Sentencing McDonald to life, Judge Richard Hayward said he was a serious danger to the public.

He had struck Mr Blackman a "ferocious" blow and had shown no remorse, the judge said.